INTERNATIONAL NEWS - A Garden Route resident has helped bring a remarkable international conservation event closer to home, as his friend is on the ground in Rwanda witnessing the naming of 22 baby mountain gorillas.
Kwita Izina, meaning “to give a name”, is inspired by the centuries-old Rwandan tradition of naming children soon after birth.
Since becoming an official annual event in 2005, the ceremony has become an international platform celebrating Rwanda’s conservation achievements.
This year, 22 baby mountain gorillas born over the past year are being given names. The honour is shared between prominent international and local figures, as well as people directly involved in protecting the animals.
George Herald was alerted to the event by Garden Route resident Adriaan van der Merwe, whose friend, Eric Ruganzu, a licensed tourist driver and guide who was born and raised near Volcanoes National Park, is attending Kwita Izina.
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During the ceremony today. Photo: Supplied by Eric Ruganzu
The ceremony, which has grown into one of Rwanda’s major international conservation celebrations, is being held at Kinigi in the Musanze District, at the foothills of the volcanoes and next to the headquarters of Volcanoes National Park, today, 4 September. About 10 000 people are attending.
The Rwanda Development Board selects namers from fields such as conservation, tourism, business, sport, entertainment, philanthropy and public service. This year’s namers include international sports and business figures, artists and conservation champions.
Importantly, the ceremony also recognises those working on the frontline of conservation. Local rangers, trackers and veterinary and research professionals who work with the gorillas and protect their habitat are also honoured.
Naming individual gorillas serves a practical conservation purpose by helping researchers and conservationists identify and monitor animals, while also celebrating the individuals, communities and organisations committed to their protection.
The ceremony, however, is about far more than giving names to baby gorillas. Nearly 1 100 mountain gorillas now live in the wild across the Virunga Massif and Bwindi ecosystem. They remain the only great ape species whose population is continuing to grow, following decades of conservation efforts involving governments, conservation organisations, researchers, veterinarians, rangers and local communities.
Dancers adding flair to the occasion. Photo: Supplied by Eric Ruganzu
Tourism is an important part of this conservation model. Rwanda has deliberately linked wildlife protection with tourism and community development, and a portion of national park tourism revenue is reinvested in communities surrounding protected areas.
Kwita Izina has therefore become both a celebration of a species that was once at serious risk of extinction and a showcase of Rwanda’s conservation model. It also reflects the country’s broader transformation, demonstrating how conservation, tourism, community development and international partnerships have become part of Rwanda’s post-war rebuilding story.
Miss Belgium 2024, Kenza Johanna Ameloot, named a baby gorilla “Nkwakuzi”.
For Van der Merwe and Ruganzu, the event provides an unexpected Garden Route connection to one of Africa’s most significant conservation success stories.
